Patient transfer stand

ABSTRACT

A rotatable patient transfer stand for moving a patient between two items of furniture, for example, a bed and a chair, said patient being capable of pulling himself to his feet but being incapable of walking normally, comprising a base, a platform rotatably mounted on the base for receiving a patient in a standing position, pressure pad means located between the base and the platform for resisting rotation thereof, a post extending upwardly from the central portion of the platform, a handle adjustably mounted on the upper portion of the post, and retractable caster means on the base for rolling the stand to any desired location when it is empty but retracting under the weight of the patient on the platform to permit the base to stand firmly on a floor.

United States Patent [191 Fleckenstein [451 Oct. 14, 1975 PATIENT TRANSFER STAND [22] Filed: Apr. 22, 1974 [2]] Appl. No.: 462,859

Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm.loseph P. Gastel [57] ABSTRACT A rotatable patient transfer stand for moving a patient between two items of furniture, for example, a bed and a chair, said patient being capable of pulling himself to his feet but being incapable of walking normally, comprising a base, a platform rotatably mounted on the base for receiving a patient in a standing position, pressure pad means located between the base and the platform for resisting rotation thereof, a post extending upwardly from the central portion of the platform, a handle adjustably mounted on the upper portion of the post, and retractable caster means on the base for rolling the stand to any desired location when it is empty but retracting under the weight of the patient on the platform to permit the base to stand firmly on a floor.

13 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures U.S. Patfint 0a. 14, 1975 Sheet 1 of3 3,911,509

U.S. Patent Oct. 14,1975 Sheet20f3 3,911,509

US, Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,911,509

PATIENT TRANSFER STAND The present invention relates to an improved patient transfer stand of the type which is utilized to assist a patient in transferring himself from one item of furniture to another when he is incapable of doing so solely under his own power. In the use of a stand ofthis type, the patient grasps a handle and pulls himself upright from an item, such as a bed, to a standing position on a platform which is rotated to a desired position and then the patient lowers himself to a desired object, such as a chair.

By way of background, in the past there have been portable patient transfer stands used for aiding a patient in moving from one item of furniture to another. However, the prior devices were deficient in that they either were extremely cumbersome or were of such a nature that they could not be conveniently used because it was difficult for an attendant to work with a patient in aiding him from moving from one location to another. It is with overcoming the foregoing deficiencies of the prior art that the present invention is concerned.

It is accordingly one important object of the present invention to provide an improved patient transfer stand which the patient can use to help move himself and which will therefore permit a relatively small, weak attendant to aid an otherwise unwieldy patient to move from one position to another.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved patient transfer stand which is readily portable on rollers from one location to another in the attitude in which it is to be used, and when it is placed in its final location, the rollers will be retracted so as to permit the stand to rest firmly on the floor as a result of merely applying the weight of the patient or the attendant to the stand.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved patient transfer stand having a rotatable platform mounted on a base with a braking action applied to the platform so as to avoid undesirable unrestricted rotation thereof, with the braking force being substantially constant regardless of the weight of the patient, thereby permitting patients of various weights to be rotated by the application of a constant rotating force to the stand.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved patient transfer stand having a bicycle handlebar type of handle for use by the patient so as to provide beneficial exercise to the patient when he assists in moving himself from one position to another. Other'objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.

The improved patient transfer stand of the present invention comprises base means, a platform for receiving a patient in a standing position, means rotatably mounting said platform on said base means, handle means located above said platform for grasping by a patient standing on said platform, and brake means effectively interposed between said platform and said base means to resist rotation therebetween. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the patient transfer stand includes force applying means for causing the brake means to exert substantially the same rotation-resisting force on the platform regardless of the weight of the person standing thereon so that the force required to rotate said platform remains substantially constant. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention the patient transfer stand includes caster means on the base for permitting the stand to be rolled from one location to another, and means for permitting the caster means to retract within the base when a patient stands on the platform.

The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved patient transfer stand of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. I and showing the structure for adjusting the attitude of the handle;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 1 and showing further details of the structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 1 and showing the structure for locking the handle to the post in any vertically adjusted position of the handle;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and showing the manner in which the platform is mounted on the base;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along line 66 of FIG. 5 and showing certain of the structure for mounting the platform on the base and for attaching the post to the platform;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 5 and showing the structure for locking the post relative to the platform;

FIG. 8 is a plan view ofthe base taken in the direction of line 88 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 and showing the structure of the caster and the friction pad and the relationship of the base to the floor when the platform is unloaded;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but showing the positions which the various elements of structure assume when the platform is loaded; 7

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 1111 of FIG. 8 and showing the manner in which the rollers are mounted on the base and support the platform; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 12-12 of FIG. 8 and also showing the manner in which the rollers are mounted on the base and support the platform.

Broadly, the improved patient transfer stand 10 includes a base 11 mounting a rotatable platform 12 from which a vertical post 13 extends upwardly and adjustably supports a handle 14 in the form of a bicycle handlebar.

In order to transfer a patient, who can stand, from one location to another, as from a bed to a wheelchair,

the patient merely places his feet on platform 12 and pulls himself to an upright position with his arms by grasping handle 14. An attendant who is assisting the patient stands on the opposite side of post 13 from the patient, reaches or leans across handle 14, and helps the patient or steadies the patient while he pulls himself up. Because the attendant stands on platform 12, he balances the patient transfer stand so that it does not tip. After the patient is standing on platform 12 and supporting himself in an upright position, the attendant can step off of the stand and rotate it by manipulating handle 14 so that the rear of the patient faces the object, such as a chair, which he is to be placed in, and the patient then lowers himself onto such object, possibly with aid from the attendant reaching over handle 14, after the attendant again steps onto the platform to balance the stand. Thus, a relatively weak attendant can effectively move an otherwise unwieldy patient because the patient helps move himself and further because the stand does not interfere with the attendants ability to grasp the patient and thus assist him.

The base 11 (FIGS. 5 and 8) is a circular spider-like member having a hub portion with a plurality of radial spokes 16 extending outwardly therefrom and merging into a circular rim portion 17. Formed integrally with and extending inwardly from rim portion 17 centrally between adjacent spokes 16 are a plurality'of circumferentially spaced pie-shaped housings 18, each of which carries a combination caster and brake unit 19. The caster portion of unit 19 includes a housing 20 rotatably mounting a spherical wheel 21. A spring 22 has its lower end bearing on the annular vertex 23 located substantially at the junction of the spherical housing portion 24 and the frustoconical housing portion 25. The upper end of the spring 22 bears on the underside 26 of pressure pad 27 which includes an upper circular surface 28 and a cylindrical side wall 29 which is slidably received in bore 30 of pie-shaped portion 18. Pressure pad 27 acts in the nature of a brake shoe.

At this point it is to be noted that platform 12 is always located a fixed distance from the top 31 of base 11. Furthermore, each spring 22 is of a strength that it will expand to the condition shown in FIG. 9 when platform 12 is unoccupied to thereby cause each wheel 21 to be in its lowermost position because annular rim 32 of caster housing 19 will bear against ledge 33. This permits stand 10 to be moved to any desired location by a person who merely grasps post 13 or handle 14 and causes stand 10 to roll across the floor on wheels 21. When a force F (FIG. 10) is applied to platform 10, as by a person standing thereon, springs 22 will be compressed to cause wheels 21 and housings 19 to retract to the position shown in FIG. 10. This will cause base 11 to move downwardly so that circular rubber friction pads 34 located at the inner ends of pie-shaped members l8 and circular rubber friction pads 35 located at the outer ends of pie-shaped members 18 will engage floor 36 to thereby maintain base 11 in a stable position on the floor while platform 12 is occupied. When both the patient and the attendant step off of platform 12, springs 22 will again expand and wheels 21 will again be lowered so that stand 10 can again be rolled to a new location. During rolling of the stand 10, pressure pads 27 exert a sufficient braking force on platform 12 to prevent its undesired rotation relative to base 11.

As noted above, platform 12 is maintained a uniform distance from the top 31 of base 11 whether or notplatform 12 is loaded. In this report, planar undersurface 38 of circular platform 12 rests on rollers 39 in spokes 16 and on rollers 40 in members 18. Each roller 39 (FIG. 11 and 12) is essentially a circular wheel mounted on spindle 41 having opposite ends 42 and 43 which are received in recesses 44 and 45, respectively, in spokes 16. Each roller 39 is received in a cutout or recess 46. Rollers 40 are identical to rollers 39 and are housed in similar cutouts in members 18 and a detailed description of this structure is therefore not deemed necessary. Since platform 12 is always supported on rollers 39 and 40, it is located at a constant distance above the upper surface 31 of base 11. This being the case, when wheels 21 are retracted to the position shown in FIG. 10, springs 22 will cause the brake means comprising pressure pads 27 to always provide a uniform holding force resisting rotation of platfo'rm 12 so that platform 12 cannot swing uncontrollably when a patient or attendant is standing thereon. Since the spring pressure on pads 27 is always substantially constant when wheels 21 are retracted because of the fact that the distance between platform 12 and base 11 does not vary, regardless of the weight of the person standing on platform 12, the resisting force opposing turning of platform 12 will always be constant so that an attendant using this platform will know how much force to exert to swing a patient from one position to the other. Pressure pads 27 are made from a suitable plastic such as polypropylene which will provide sufficient resistance to turning of platform 12 without excessive drag which could be objectionable.

Platform 12 is maintained centered on base 11 by hub member 46 (FIG. 6) which includes a lower cylindrical portion 47 received within cylindrical bushing 48 which in turn is received in cylindrical opening 49 in hub 15 of base 11. A circular washer 50 is located within cylindrical recess 51 and is attached to hub 46 by means of screw 52. When circular washer 50 is in place, hub 46 is locked to base 11 but can be rotated because of the bearing quality of bushing 48. Platform 12 is attached to flange 53 of hub 46 by means of a plurality of screws 54. A bearing washer 55 is located between base 11 and the undersurface 38 of platform 12 to provide support in this area.

Post 13, which may be a hollow cylindrical pipe, includes a lower end 57 which is received in cylindrical bore 58 of hub 46. Hub 46 includes a bore 59 which carries locking lugs 60 and 61. A screw 62 extends through an oversized bore 63 in lug 60 and the threaded end 64 is received in tapped portion 65 in lug 61. The tightening of screw 62 will cause lugs 60 and 61 to approach each other with a sliding action in bore 59 so that the gripping faces 66 and 67 of lugs 60 and 61, respectively, will engage the adjacent surfaces of post 13 to securely lock it in hub 46. It will be appreciated that post 13 may be disassembled from hub 46 for shipment or storage, but when it is in position it is retained firmly therein.

Handle 14 may be positioned axially on post 13 because it is mounted in fitting 70 which can be slid to any desired position on post 13 when locking lugs 71 and 72 in bore 73 are loosened. To lock fitting 70 in position, screw 74 which extends through an oversize bore in lug 72 and has its threaded end 75 received in tapped bore 76 in'lug 71 is tightened to cause faces 76 and 77 of lugs 71 and 72, respectively, to engage adjacent portions of post 13. If it is desired to change the elevation of handle 14, screw 74 is loosened, the position of fitting is adjusted, and then screw 74 is retightened.

Handle 14 includes a horizontal central portion 79 which is slidably received in bore 80 of fitting 70. A pair of set screws 81 in fitting 70 bear against adjacent portions of handle portion 79 to lock it in any position to which handle 14 may be rotated. Central portion 79 merges into sloping portions 82 which in turn merge into handle grip portions 83 which may have bicycletype hand grips 84 secured thereon.

A patient, in order to lift himself onto platform 12 need merely grasp handle grips 84 and bear downwardly on them to thereby lift himself to a more upright position whereby his feet can rest on platform 12. The use of such handle grips in the foregoing manner is preferred because this causes the patient to exercise his arms and chest cavity, which is desired from a therapeutic viewpoint. However, for the patient to pull himselfinto the standing position he may grasp central portion 79 on opposite sides of fitting 70 if desired.

Broadly, the general dimensions of stand are as follows: Platform 12 is approximately 2 feet in diameter and post 13 is approximately 3 feet in length.

It can thus be seen that the improved patient transfer stand of the present invention is manifestly capable of achieving the above enumerated objects, and while a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotatable patient transfer stand comprising base means, a platform for receiving a patient in a standing position, means rotatably mounting said platform on said base means, handle means extending upwardly above said platform for grasping by a patient standing on said platform, and brake means effectively interposed between said platform and said base means and operable during rotation of said platform on said base means to resist rotation therebetween.

2. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 1 including force applying means for causing said brake means to exert substantially the same rotation resisting force on said platform regardless of the weight of the person standing thereon so that the force required to rotate said platform remains substantially constant.

3. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said handle means are fixed to said platform for rotation therewith.

4. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 3 wherein said handle means comprise post means extending upwardly from said platform substantially centrally thereof, and cross bar means fixed to said post means.

5. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 3 including means for adjusting the elevation of said cross bar means on said post means.

6. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 4 wherein said cross bar means includes a central portion extending transversely to said post means, and handle means at the outer ends of said central portion extending transversely thereto in the nature of bicycle handlebars.

7. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said brake means comprise friction pad means, and wherein said force applying means comprise spring means for biasing said friction pad means against said platform.

8. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 7 wherein said platform includes an underside, and wherein said friction pad means comprise a plurality of friction pads in engagement with said underside.

9. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 8 including caster means on said base member to permit rolling action thereof on a floor.

10. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 9 wherein said base means includes an underside, and biasing means for biasing said caster means downwardly relative to said base means to cause said base means to be elevated above the floor when said platform is unloaded but permitting said underside of said base means to rest on the floor when said platform is loaded.

11. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 10 wherein said spring means is interposed between said friction pad means and said caster means so as to constitute said biasing means.

12. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 10 including second friction pad means on said underside of said base means to securely mount said base means on the floor when a patient is on said platform.

13. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means rotatably mounting said platform on said base means comprises a plurality of rollers on said base member.

* l 1 =l k 

1. A rotatable patient transfer stand comprising base means, a platform for receiving a patient in a standing position, means rotatably mounting said platform on said base means, handle means extending upwardly above said platform for grasping by a patient standing on said platform, and brake means effectively interposed between said platform and said base means and operable during rotation of said platform on said base means to resist rotation therebetween.
 2. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 1 including force applying means for causing said brake means to exert substantially the same rotation resisting force on said platform regardless of the weight of the person standing thereon so that the force required to rotate said platform remains substantially constant.
 3. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said handle means are fixed to said platform for rotation therewith.
 4. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 3 wherein said handle means comprise post means extending upwardly from said platform substantially centrally thereof, and cross bar means fixed to said post means.
 5. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 3 including means for adjusting the elevation of said cross bar means on said post means.
 6. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 4 wherein said cross bar means includes a central portion extending transversely to said post means, and handle means at the outer ends of said central portion extending transversely thereto in the nature of bicycle handlebars.
 7. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein said brake means comprise friction pad means, and wherein said force applying means comprise spring means for biasing said friction pad means against said platform.
 8. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 7 wherein said platform includes an underside, and wherein said friction pad means comprise a plurality of friction pads in engagement with said underside.
 9. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 8 including caster means on said base member to permit rolling action thereof on a floor.
 10. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 9 wherein said base means includes an underside, and biasing means for biasing said caster means downwardly relative to said base means to cause said base means to be elevated above the floor when said platform is unloaded but permitting said underside of said base means to rest on the floor when said platform is loaded.
 11. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 10 wherein said spring means is interposed between said friction pad means and said caster means so as to constitute said biasing means.
 12. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 10 including second friction pad means on said underside of said base means to securely mount said base means on the floor when a patient is on said platform.
 13. A rotatable patient transfer stand as set forth in claim 10 wherein said means rotatably mounting said platform on said base means comprises a plurality of rollers on said base member. 